


Corporeal

by ominousrum



Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: Angst, Canon Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-24
Updated: 2015-02-24
Packaged: 2018-09-24 21:09:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9787112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ominousrum/pseuds/ominousrum
Summary: Kristoff and Anna think of each other while they're apart





	

Kristoff cursed under his breath as he stumbled in the snow which was now threatening to reach his knees. Sven gave a grunt and dug his hoofs with a crunch into a snowbank. “Sven, this is the best thing to do, we can’t risk going back tonight. I can barely see as it is!”

The reindeer reluctantly stepped forward, head bowed, as Kristoff steadied himself. His cabin was a few hundred feet away, he was sure of it. Living in the mountains afforded an inherent sense of direction. He had grown up knowing how the sun fell across the trees and where the biting winds flowed from. In this moment though, exhaustion filled every step and Kristoff’s tired mind began to splinter with doubt. 

The storm had come with such strength, Kristoff had barely made it down the mountain in time. The sled mired in dense, heavy clumps of snow. He knew with a glance it would only slow them down. Sven was eager to try to race them back to Arendelle but it was so far away. Kristoff estimated it would take at least an hour with a sled in perfect conditions; he didn’t want to sentence his closest friend to what may be death. The snow stuck to Sven’s fur, the added weight revealing itself in agitated grunts and extra panting. 

Kristoff had three cabins, all distanced conveniently near mountain ranges ice harvesting took him to. All built by hand. The cabins were barely big enough to house him and Sven, but they would do. Wool blankets, dry firewood, salt-cured fish, a kettle and hanging herbs awaited him. Kristoff’s gripped his supply bag closer to his chest as the sharp wind ached in his ears. His thick mittens damp with snow clutched at Sven’s coat as an anchor as the two edged slowly to towards the faintest of outlines amongst the white. 

The howl of the wind seemed to etch into his spine as Kristoff forced himself on. Cold seeped through to his skin, muscles contracting painfully with every step. How easy it would be to stop, just stop and sit in the soft snow. His mind receded from consciousness like waves leaving the shore, knees buckling. Sven braying and tugging on his collar barely registering as everything went dark.

***

 

Anna wrung her hands nervously. The sound of the wind whipping violently against the windows seemed to heighten her worry by the second.  Kristoff had been gone for two days but this was the worst storm yet; possibly the worst storm Anna had ever seen. 

A slow trickle of fear beat a path from her neck down to her shoulders, leaving an icy wake. Dangerous as ice harvesting may be, Anna had never doubted Kristoff’s ability nor his inexhaustible knowledge of the mountains. This night was different. This night the sky itself seemed to be calling out a warning, all outcomes impossibly bleak. 

She stared at the steam rising from the cup of tea Elsa had brought her, willing the warmth to rise and find her love. As the fire crackled, Anna closed her eyes, letting the image of Kristoff’s sandy hair and gentle smile fill her mind. She held her shawl closer, imagining his arms around her. She prayed somehow he could feel her heart, beating wetly in every footprint he left in the snow. _I wish you were here. I wish you were here._

***

 

Anna was in front of him now, fiery hair spilling over freckled shoulders. There was no snow, no wind, no oblivion to sink into. Everything was Anna. All the warmth he could ever need was radiating from her blue eyes. He reached for her, hands anticipating the smoothness of her skin against his callouses, the ghosts of flesh memory. He did not reach her. Anna moved further from his grasp with every inch he propelled himself forward. 

Kristoff’s lips parted, a cry unhinging itself from his lungs as Anna faded from his sight. **_A_ _nna! ANNA!_**

He tore through the still, heavy air desperate to find her. At the back of his mind, reason scratched the smallest point of light into the dark. _She’s not there. She’s not there. You aren’t there. You have to get up._

Ice burned into his limbs, sensations causing him to twitch erratically. Shadows thundered inside his eyelids, fighting to prise them open. A wide slick of wetness drug itself along his neck, the echo of teeth clamping shut finding its way into his ears. 

Kristoff felt the earth beneath him solidify as his eyes wrenched open, confused at the blinding spray of white fluttering ever past him. His arm danced in its socket as Sven pulled with all his strength. Snow rushed past his face as Kristoff struggled to release his arm. 

Eyes wide, Kristoff managed to steady his legs enough to pull himself up, arms wrapped around Sven’s thick neck. He swore at the sight of Sven’s exhaustion, determined they would both make it to the safety of the cabin. 

Direction awoke in his veins, blood flowing to inherent ability as he stepped confidently towards the cabin. With every wedge his boots pushed into the snow, he thought of Anna. The snowflakes that kissed his cheek seemed inconsequential now. Seeing Anna’s smiling face again was the only thing that mattered. 

After countless steps, they reached the wooden door now blanketed entirely in white. Kristoff used the last of his strength to force the door open, pushing Sven inside as the reindeer gave a low grunt of thanks. 

Kristoff felt his way to the fireplace on his knees, brushing snow that had fallen down off the logs awaiting flame. He cursed the numbness in his fingers as he fumbled to ignite the match. Finally a flame roared into life, a laugh cracking in Kristoff’s throat as he rushed to arrange the kindling. 

Later, draped under wool blankets, Kristoff and Sven slowly thawed as they drank hot broth. Both elated to have not met their end under heavy snow. 

***

 

Anna feared she might unravel completely if there was no word from Kristoff today. The night had been filled with feverish dreams, her hair drenched in sweat as she woke screaming for him. A scene of Kristoff laying in the snow, lifeless, had seared into her conscious mind; only fluttering away into nothing once she poured over the details, looking for clues to his whereabouts. 

The weather now calm, fresh snow glistened as the sun poked through the clouds. The white sky gradually shifting to blue as Anna dressed. Elsa and Gerda placed plate after plate in front of her, each met with a wave of her hand and a sad shake of the head. 

Anna rose from her chair overlooking the fjord and dug through her wardrobe to find her warmest cloak. Feet flew under her, racing to the stables to choose a horse. Elsa caught her in the hall, cautioning her with a brief hug to not travel too far and be back before sunset. 

Anna mounted her horse and rode fast to the outskirts of Arendelle. Looking to the mountains beyond, she tried to remember which direction Kristoff had left in. She shielded the sun from her eyes with her hand, the expanse of snow gleaming brilliant white. A dark grey figure appeared on the horizon - Anna let loose a strangled cry of surprise.

Her heels kicked swiftly into the horse’s side, her heart flying alongside hooves digging into the powdery softness. 

Kristoff kept a hand on Sven as they walked, a joint spring of strength welling there. Although tired and aching from every muscle, the two headed back to Arendelle relatively unscathed. Kristoff looked up at the distant sound of movement displacing the winter air. Anna was riding to him at full speed, hair streaming behind her. 

Anna dismounted wordlessly in front of him, tears pooling quickly in her eyes as she grabbed him, arms pressing tightly into his back. Kristoff felt all pain dissolve into her embrace as he kissed a greeting into her hair. They stood, arms about each other, for several minutes in silence. Each allowing the permanence of the moment to sink into their skin. 

Kristoff’s eyes were wet as they broke apart. “It’s good to be home.”


End file.
